England captain Joe Root surpassed India batting legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar to become the 5th highest run-scorer in Tests in a calendar year. Root achieved the feat on Day 3 of the 2nd Ashes Test, which is underway in Adelaide.
Notably, in the first Ashes Test, Root surpassed former England captain Michael Vaughan to become the leading run-getter from England in a single calendar year in Test cricket.
On Saturday, Root went past Tendulkar who had registered 1562 runs in a single year in Tests back in 2010. He had also gone past Gavaskar (1555 runs in 1979) earlier in the day.
After going past Tendulkar, Joe Root currently stands at fifth position among players with most Test runs in a year.
The list is led by former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf (1788 runs in 2006), followed by West Indies great Viv Richards (1710 runs in 1976), former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith (1656 runs in 2008) and another Australia skipper Michael Clarke (1595 runs in 2012).
Most runs scored in a calendar year by batters in Tests:
- Mohamamd Yousuf (2006): 1788 runs
- Viv Richards (1976): 1710 runs
- Graeme Smith (2008): 1656
- Michael Clarke (2012): 1595
- Joe Root (2021): 1563* runs
- Sachin Tendulkar (2010): 1562 runs
- Sunil Gavaskar (1979): 1555 runs
Talking about the second Ashes Test, Australia are in firm control as England trailed by 456 runs after the stumps of Day 2. In response, England lost two early wickets with Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns being dismissed for just 6 and 4 runs respectively.
The first session of day three goes to England!
Joe Root reaches his 52nd Test fifty, and has combined with Dawid Malan in a partnership of 128!
Watch the #Ashes live on https://t.co/MHHfZPyHf9 (in select regions) #AUSvENG | #WTC23 pic.twitter.com/Qtrw1WiYe9
— ICC (@ICC) December 18, 2021
However, resuming the day for 17/2, Dawid Malan and Joe Root hit a half-century each to steady the England ship a little. The visitors were 140/2 at dinner break on Day 3.
